Reports and Resources

Convincing decision makers to prioritize people who bike and walk requires two things: great stories and great data. Our reports offer important, easy to understand case studies for both.

As the premier resource for advocates and policy makers on how to make biking better, the League has produced scores of reports and fact sheets over the years to make the case for building a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.

In addition to our most recent reports, the League also hosts archives and resources created over the years through our work and that of our partners.

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Recent Reports

Reconnecting to the New Majority

In 2013, the League of American Bicyclists (League) and the Sierra Club published “The New Majority: Pedaling Towards Equity,” a report highlighting the changing demographics within the bicycling movement. Today, the League is releasing a new report, “Reconnecting to the New Majority,” to update our understanding of demographic trends in bicycling, identify areas of focus to ensure that all people — particularly Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) — have access to safe bicycling, and further progress actions that promote equity in bicycling.

Benchmarking Bike Networks

“Benchmarking Bike Networks” demonstrates the importance of safe bicycle infrastructure and connected bicycle networks in increasing the safety and accessibility of bicycling as a transportation and recreational option. The report’s findings demonstrate why communities around the United States should prioritize building the safest bicycle facilities for appropriate road contexts to connect more people and neighborhoods to more places. The League hopes this report will serve as a tool for communities, planners, state and local bike advocacy organizations, cycling clubs, and individuals who bike to be advocates for bike infrastructure and networks that will contribute to building a Bicycle Friendly America for Everyone.

Bicycling Benefits Business report cover

Bicycling Benefits Business

In 2009, the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking and Walking published “Bicycling Means Business”, a culmination of research studying the economic benefits of bicycle infrastructure. Today, the League is releasing an updated report, “Bicycling Benefits Business”, which reviews new research in the nearly 10 years that have passed since the original, and it remains true: communities that support bicycling as a means of transportation and recreation have outsized economic benefits by attracting residents and tourists alike.

Bicycling Benefits Business report cover

Recent Posts from our Research Team

#BikeChat: Where We Ride 2015

By bikeleague | October 8, 2015

Last Friday, we chatted with Ken McLeod, the League’s data cruncher and author of our new report, “Where We Ride: Analysis of Bicycle Commuting in American Cities” about this new data. We also were joined by the Alliance for Biking & Walking — we teamed up with the Alliance to include walk to work data in this year’s report. Based on the new Census Bureau American Community Survey data, we looked at the state of commuting across the country. If you missed our #BikeChat Twitter chat, view the recap below!

Where We Ride 2014: Analysis of Bike Commuting

By Ken McLeod | October 1, 2015

In our third edition of “Where We Ride: An Analysis of Bicycling in American Cities” we take a look at the growth of bicycle commuters throughout the country, based on new data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. We dissect broad trends, like where among large cities bike commuting is growing fastest, and take on and more granular analyses, like which cities are exploding with bike commuters by region and size.

New Data: Bike Commuting Growing Steadily

By Ken McLeod | September 17, 2015

This morning, the U.S. Census Bureau released the American Community Survey (ACS), revealing new data on bicycle commuting in the United States. According to the ACS, 0.62% of commutes to work were made by bicycle in 2014, which represents a modest 0.5% increase from 2013. In total, the Census Bureau estimates that there were 904,463 bicycle commuters across the country in 2014. Since 2000, ACS data shows a 62% increase in bicycle commuting.

Amtrak Expands Roll-On Service

By Caron Whitaker | September 14, 2015

Starting today, Amtrak’s Capitol Limited Line, from Washington, D.C. through Pittsburgh and ending in Chicago, will offer bicycle roll-on bicycle service. Congratulations to Adventure Cycling Association and Amtrak for making this happen! Amtrak’s timing is perfect, too. Earlier this year the League worked with Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to successfully incorporate language into the Amtrak reauthorization bill, pushing the train service to standardize roll-on accessibility across the country. While the bill hasn’t yet passed the full Congress, we expect it to pass by the end of the year.

New Report: Equity of Access to Bicycle Infrastructure

By bikeleague | September 1, 2015

Equitable transportation is more than a buzzword. The effort to make transportation accessible and safe for Americans from all socioeconomic and racial backgrounds has taken root in grassroots advocacy organizations, national foundations and even in the U.S. Congress. The benefits of transportation investments are not distributed equally among communities, as some social groups have not reaped the rewards of developed transportation infrastructure. While the discussion of transportation equity has largely focused on accessibility to transit and the provision of auto-dominated infrastructure, a growing number of advocates

How will new technology affect bike safety? Congress wants to know

By Ken McLeod | June 29, 2015

New technology is coming for our roads, but what does that mean for you? It is hard to know what to think of self-driving cars, connected cars, and new safety technologies that augment the abilities of vehicle drivers. Last year, we asked on social media whether automated cars will increase or decrease safety for people who bike and walk – and most people said they didn’t have enough information to know. Thankfully, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) has introduced the “Future Transportation Research and Innovation for Prosperity Act” or Future TRIP Act. The Future TRIP Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish an Automated and Connected Vehicle Research Initiative.